


DeCipher

by Anchanted_One



Series: Tales from The Old Republic [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, Gen, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 03:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20185567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anchanted_One/pseuds/Anchanted_One
Summary: Cipher Nine, in the same Universe as Akahte and Arro and Kai'rene.





	DeCipher

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying out something new here, a different format. Meant to be a good fit for a Superspy like Cipher Nine.  
This story assumes a mostly Light-sided Agent, but who ultimately works for the Empire, and its stability.  
The mission details are deliberately vague, but anyone who remembers the Agent storyline even should be able to understand it.

**The Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

**The Archives**

_ Archivist’s notes: This cache of datafiles was discovered by the Jedi many years ago, in the abandoned command center of a military Outpost, of the planet named “Odessen”. It was marked as being of “greatest interest”, being the largest collection of information about the Agent known only as “Cipher Nine”. This Cipher was one of the most notorious spies of their time, and had incredible success in many high-risk missions against grave odds. They were never identified, and thirty years after their last confirmed job, the identity and actions were declared a Cold Case. _

_ These libraries were found almost six years after Nine’s final known mission, but its encryption was never broken, instead being placed in a cold case vault, with a computer tirelessly working to decrypt the files. _ _  
_ _ There, it was forgotten. _

_ I recently came across this computer, still working on a case long gone cold, and was shocked at how little had been decrypted. There are hundreds of entries missing between decrypted entries, but somehow these short passages are still able to provide us with quite an interesting narrative. Perhaps a great deal of this data is just junk data, whose only purpose is to confound attempts at cracking it? I know for certain that many parts are corrupted. _

_ Of greatest interest are the holovid files attached at the end. _

_ All entries are presented in chronological order, and corrupted or undeciphered data is omitted. Approach an archivist for access to the ongoing decryption. _

_ Recommendation: Keep the computer working on this for however long it takes to decrypt it all; this is without a doubt the writings of a key individual with unique and perhaps more complete insights regarding the occurrences of their era. _

_ -JN _

****

Heavily Encrypted Personal Datapad. 

When I entered the service of Lord Vexakos, I never suspected that he would want me to be his weapon within Imperial Intelligence. I was already seventeen, and no stranger to violence, lies, betrayal… and even killing. But it takes more than just strength to go far as an Intelligence Field Agent. You need more, even, than cunning, subtlety, adaptability, lightning-fast thinking and an eye for weaknesses. 

You need to become a ghost, a whisper.  
A lie.

Lord Vexakos arranged for a former Intelligence Agent to aid me in my preparation. He would train me to near perfection in everything he knew about stealth, sabotage, intimidation, infiltration, marksmanship, and chemicals-- by the time I enter the Academy I will probably be better than most of the instructors. 

But more importantly than skills, he’s made up an entire fictitious history for me.  
It has everything: a made-up Mother and Father, two brothers, hometown, school, teachers, schoolmates, friends, best friends, and even two boyfriends.  
My record even shows that I have already been combat trained-- which I have-- and even seen action on Balmorra; in a squad that was ambushed and of which I was the sole survivor; a survivor who was able to sneak out from behind enemy lines  
A new look as well: a series of holodisguise implants to mask my face as well as vocal implant to change my voice. 

And my name? Mercei Tanniels. For now, I put my old life aside. Next month, after a year of training, I join the Academy.

*

Training Day 72. Training done. I’ve graduated top of the class.Of course.

*

I have my first Assignment. Retrieve a stolen package from a Hutt on Tatooine.

*

Deployed to Ord Mantell. Long deployment, multiple missions. Goal: to turn the disaffected Havoc Squad to the Empire.

Ord Mantell Day 3. Today was the first time I had to seduce someone on the job. A Republic Lieutenant named Virk. Foul man; in more ways than one! Extorts his own subordinates, bidding for safer postings. And he smelled like he hadn’t had a bath in years. And his attitude--! I feel so dirty for having seduced him-- unclean. Mentor always said training can never prepare us for the real thing and now I understand what he meant. No matter what I do I can’t wash away the taste, or the smell, or the creepy feel of his fingers on my chest, my hair.  
The experience has almost broken me-- I’m reduced to tears, and so sick I am puking out last week’s breakfast. I pray that I never have to do this again, although that would be asking for too much, probably. 

*

Ord Mantell Day 7. Made contact with Havoc Squad. They were all surprisingly open to my tune. It probably helped that I was able to save their lives from some half-baked Separatist bomb plot.  
Commander Tavus is resentful of me, but less so than he is of the Republic itself. His XO Wraith, and Medical Specialist “Needles” are eager to turn, Mechanics expert Gearbox is also receptive to a lesser degree. But the explosives expert, Fuse, is hesitant. I believe that he is shattered by the events of Ando Prime, but he may yet rally and regret his decision to defect. Safest bet would be to eliminate or retire him but that’s not an option. 

*

Ord Mantell Day 18. Mission Complete. Havoc is ours now, but will remain where they are for now. Some day, however, they will fight openly under the banner of the Empire!

*

Mission 11. Deployed to Hutta. Details when I arrive.

Arrived on Hutta. Briefing by Keeper.. Head of Intelligence himself! This Op must be big!

*

My handling of the recent terrorist cell has impressed my superiors. All of them; I have gained the confidence of Keeper himself.  
He has erased all of my records (Though they themselves are fabricated) and given me the designation of Cipher Nine. 

I am to be the blade in the shadows; the surgical tool whose presence is eternally felt but never seen. It will be my job to carry out the highest risk intelligence missions, including infiltration, espionage, sabotage and misinformation. Perhaps even assassinations, on the rare occasion. All with almost no oversight.  
Perhaps Lord Vexakos will be pleased. 

My first task is to dismantle the “Eagle’s” Terror network and neutralize the man himself. After the assassination of Darth Jadus, this man has found himself at the top of the Empire’s most-wanted list.

*

Darth Jadus was of the Imperial Dark Council-- the head of the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence. One of the highest ranking of all Sith, with only eleven equals-- those being the other Councillors-- and answerable only to the Emperor himself. Jadus was said to be the most powerful Sith, second to our Emperor. He was steeped in mystery, and was known for being cold, ruthless, and clinical in his approach to solving problems. He was also a staunch disciple of the Dark Side of the Force. Killing one such as he, in the middle of his own flagship, at the heart of Imperial Power, is a statement of unimaginable power.  
And I am the tip of the spear directed at his heart.

*

Interesting turn of events; Watcher One has been assigned to my team, to help me with my search. He has seniority-- he should be the one leading, yet he is assigned to me. Is Intelligence losing its confidence in its most legendary asset?

*

Now I understand. Watcher One was freed by Havoc Squad, who are still masquerading as Republic forces whenever they can. Garza, head of SpecOps, is actively working to hide the truth from her own people, and continuing the charade allows Havoc to… wreak havoc?  
Keeper wants Watcher One working out of sight, just in case. And he also wants One to groom his successor, for despite his designation he was just as much Cipher as Watcher. 

Of some interest, Watcher One was captured by a Jedi Knight, Arro Silver, apparently young enough to still be in the academy, yet he has already thwarted not only Watcher One, but Darth Angral’s son.

Also of interest, at least to my superiors, is that Jedi Arro saw through a perfect holodisguise, one which routinely fooled the best of sensors and is almost a match to my own.  
I see the problem, however, or at least a part of it. The disguises can mask our faces, but past experience tells me Force-wielders may look beyond that mask. And One had chosen to play the part of a Rodian. I imagine the difference between a Rodian’s mind and a human’s are as night and day. 

*

I was brought before the Emperor himself. He has also taken an interest in this young Jedi Knight, this Arro. It seems that He almost had the Jedi in His grasp when he stumbled into the Emperor’s gaze; yet he escaped.  
His Imperial Majesty believes that the Jedi might have some rare gifts, and in addition to my other objectives, He wants me to acquire as much information about him as I can. From the Jedi Council records themselves.

I pity the fool; not yet eighteen and already has the eyes of the Emperor upon him.

*

Something about this Eagle’s terror network doesn’t sit right with me. How did it grow so large as to escape notice? To be so thoroughly underestimated? Someone is not only funding, but also protecting it. Someone powerful. But who?

*

The Eagle’s nest has been raided. The Eagle is dead. And as I feared, he is but a pawn of someone larger.

*

It was… Jadus? Darth Jadus faked his own death, and wished to use the Eradicators to cause untold death and destruction, all to weaken his rivals and fellow Councillors so that he could reshape the Empire into the “Dark Image” he envisioned!

What are we to do when one of those who leads us also works to unleash terrorist attacks on us?

If not for me-- if not for Imperial Intelligence-- this would have been the biggest loss of life to such an attack in centuries.  
More and more, I see how vital Imperial Intelligence is. We need to avoid, to the greatest possible extent, being used as tools of the Sith. We must certainly avoid a complete takeover at all costs!

As for the fight itself, people will forever wonder how a lowly spy bested one of the strongest Sith in the Empire. Let them. Even Jadus-- who has lived to haunt us again-- did not notice the secret weapon. He fell without knowing what hit him, and that suits me just fine.

*

Lord Vexakos has contacted me. He wants to use Intelligence in his bid to usurp the Dark Council along with his closest friends, including Lord Grathan. 

*

Such a relief. By remarkable coincidence, Lords Vexakos, Grathan, Tytonus and others died in separate tragic accidents. What great epoch shall the Empire never reach by this unfortunate event? We shall never know.

Watcher One has been reassigned. I will miss him.

*

New assignment: Ardun Kothe, Republic SIS. I am to play “Double Agent”, discover his plot to weaken the Empire, and thwart it. And to kill him if possible.

*

Nar Shaddaa. Contact made. Everything went perfectly.

*

Not ideal. Awaiting opportunity.

*

Taris. Objective: Neutralize the Fallen Jedi Ki Sazen. The mission went perfectly!

*

Detour. Dromund Kaas. Everything… just… fine… Researching Cipher Nine… Castellan Restraints… Reversion… only hope… IX Serum... Quesh… just fine

*

Hoth. Mission to find the “_ Starbreeze _” went… so perfectly.

*

Quesh. The “Shadow Arsenal”. A cache of high-yield WMDs, armed with cloaking devices and the ability to make short hyperspace jumps. It would have been a disaster if Kothe had gotten a hold of these, but the Force was with me.  
Fitting that it ended here, where it began. I was brainwashed. By the Empire. The Dark Council was so disturbed that I could defy a fellow Councillor that they had me brainwashed. Leashed by these “Castellan Restraints”. And then Intelligence somehow allowed SIS to gain my keyword, giving them complete control over me.  
These past months have been so painful! My body would rebel every time I tried to even allude to any complications. The pain I can endure. The dizziness and nausea likewise. But to not have control over my own body! To be an observer inside my own head as I was used as some plaything, some disposable… Sabac card… That nearly broke me!

Used. By Ardun Kothe… a Jedi who found his Order’s code too restrictive, and became a Spymaster. But even worse was Hunter, an asp of a man who delighted in torturing me. Someone who, it seems, is playing both Republic and Empire. 

The only way to break free was to subject myself to a second brainwashing. The process has not been gentle. Shadows and dreams dance at the edges of my vision. My aim starts to degrade. There is a slight tremor in my hand, and I may bear these scars for the rest of my life.  
… I am not in the best state of mind right now, I am exhausted and afraid and…. So so terrified. Imperial Intelligence did this to me. The Dark Council. I gave them everything, even my allegiance, and they brainwashed me. “Cipher Nine”. “Legate”. “Agent”. “Nothing”. Just an expendable resource.  
I have a lot to think about.

*

I have spoken to the Minister of Intelligence. Formerly Keeper. He admitted to having brainwashed me to spare my life. And he suspects that it was Hunter, or his employers, who gained access to my codes, among other things. They are playing both sides against each other. They are dangerous. They must be stopped. It will be my revenge against them. But after that… After that I don’t know what happens.

*

Everywhere I go, I am haunted by Hunter’s voice, sneering that he’s one step ahead of me. But Flip that around and I’m only a step behind, hounding his shadow, and I am gaining. I will catch him, I will expose his Employers, and I will crush them. 

They will learn to fear me.

*

Belsavis. A high-security Prison world, where the conspirators built a “Megasecurity Vault” to hide secrets from the galaxy.

Having penetrated their defenses, I now know their name. The “Star Cabal”. Founded by beings of influence who were appalled at the devastation of the Great Hyperspace War, they have grown out of control to become the Silent hand guiding the Galaxy. Or claiming to. If these fools think that the Emperor is under their control, hasn’t noticed their meddling, they’re deluded. 

*

A setback. An embedded message in some comm log data I recovered has wrought havoc among genetically enhanced humans who saw it. By which I mean all of our Watchers. The setback is terrible for intelligence, but…

My dear friend Shara. Once my Handler, and Watcher Two. The current holder of the title “Keeper”. She was stern, detached, professional... but a warm woman… We had grown to have a true friendship in our time working together. She was proud of her extensive genetic modifications, but ultimately she was the same as me. A leashed tool.

And now she’s dying. She might be dead already. If not, there’s no telling whether the damage can be healed. The shot was fired by Hunter and his Masters, this “Star Cabal”. But the weapon was made by Imperial Intelligence.  
This is no longer about me.

Voss. The Conspirators’ trail lead me to this mysterious world. The people are governed by “Mystics”, Force-users who are guided by their visions. The Mystics are considered infallible. One of the Star Cabal, a man named Albathius, was able to all but become Voss himself within weeks. An incredible achievement given how insular these people are. My contact was only able to infiltrate the society by being surgically altered to look like a Voss tea-house owner. And even he is forever bound to that station, a tea-house owner for life. Insular indeed. But Albathius was able to get in good with them. How? In his tomb I found a scroll which, translated, reads that he was aided by prophecy. If the Mystics did indeed have a vision about him it would answer why he was so easily accepted. But this is far too convenient. Why was the Star Cabal interested in Voss? What did they ask of them? 

The trail led me to the Voss Holy Temple called “The Shrine of Healing”. As the name suggests, the sick and the dying seek out the shrine to be healed. I got in by admitting to turmoil in my spirit, scars that needed healing. It was a truth, even though I wasn’t expecting much. But the ritual itself surprised me. It brought forth my crisis to the fore.

It likened me to a tree; reminded me of who I was. My earliest teachings, my earliest self. The girl who I once was. The woman who joined Imperial Intelligence as the agent of a Sith Lord. Who killed that Sith Lord, thereby pledging herself to Imperial Intelligence. 

Who faced a Season of Fire; stamped out a fire but could not expel the darkness. Who endured a Season of Famine; isolated, the bark of my mind carved by friend and foe alike. Used as a puppet. Caused me to question all of my beliefs and loyalties, leading to the Season of Mists I find myself in. Where for the first time in years, I am uncertain. My spirit seeks balance while the world crumbles beneath me.

I see the way forward is to completely be my own woman. To call my own shots. 

And as a bonus, I understand this prophecy: it is a fake. Forged in order to make a con-artist seem like a man of prophecy.

*

Such a strange turn of events. My contact, Bas’ton, was killed. The only way to find what the conspirator was after was to go to the heart of “The Nightmare Lands”, a feared, supposedly cursed place which drives people mad. 

And in order to reach them, I must become Voss myself. I must marry the real Bas’ton’s son. The Voss man we removed and replaced with a double. And Phi-ton seems a decent man. After all the lies, all the betrayals, why does my conscience begin to squirm now?

I have seduced over a dozen men, and several women, but to be marrying someone in the line of duty? That’s a new one.

*

It is done. I am Voss now. And married. The ceremony was brief, but Phi-ton… his passion surprised me. Touched me. More and more, it is clear that I can no longer be a shadow. A nameless piece bearing only a designation, a title.

*

Well well. The Conspirators were desperate to keep the Voss out of the war. Probably knew how Mystic insight might challenge their own dominance. The Voss are crafty. They knew they were being played, but chose to go along with something that was their preferred MO anyway. And because I seem to tick the same check-boxes as the Shining Man, they told me this, believing that they have acted in accordance with Destiny should he be false, and I true.

These beings may not be as… overt as the Sith. They may be like Jedi in their service to Voss rather than themselves. But there is duplicity and cunning here to match any among the Sith.

*

Disaster; I finally have a lead, and Intelligence has been disbanded by order of Sith. No doubt this was orchestrated by the Cabal.  
They’re feeling threatened.  
Good.  
If they really think being sent to the Front Lines, on Corellia, will make it harder for Intelligence to stop them then they’re fools. If the war on Corellia is truly that important, then the Cabal has an agent there. An agent I can find, and trace to the Cabal itself. Alone if I have to.

*

Corellia. The Cabal has pulled out all the stops, doctoring reports, making it appear to each side as though they have the clear advantage. Instead, forces are so evenly matched it would be mutually assured devastation. Perhaps one severe enough to cause a power vacuum that they can fill.

But on the plus side, Shara, currently Keeper, is alive and helping. Or is it a plus side? Insufferable woman has asked me to allow myself to get captured, tortured and leak false information to the Cabal, in the hopes it will cause them to scramble to adjust course, and expose themselves briefly.

_ Sigh _. The things I do for my best friend.

*

And now she wants me to fake my death. Probably been plotting to kill me since Hutta.

*

At last. I alerted Ardun Kothe about the Cabal. Letting him and his team live was a good call. And Cipher Nine is officially dead. A good first step to my Finale. I will be rendezvousing with Shara and what’s left of Intelligence on the Cruiser _ Tenebrous _. 

*

The Minister of Intelligence, who was Keeper when I joined Intelligence, has called in every last favor he is owed to pull together one final Op by a supposedly dead Organisation. As the now deceased Cipher Nine, I lead the charge. 

We are truly ghosts now. How appropriate.

*

The Inner Circle of the Star Cabal is finally exposed. Their “Black Codex”, which is the sum total of all of their secrets-- including how they wipe out their existence from history. I go for what I hope is my final debrief. Today Cipher Nine is laid to rest.

*

==== Holovid 1 ===

An old human male walks into the room followed a human woman with a fox-like face. Her eyes are slits, a wide smile adorns her face. There are no identifying marks of any kind on her face. Both wear similar uniforms, bearing a rank insignia.

“Congratulations are in order Cipher, but in order to track and eliminate the conspirators, and wipe them out for good, I will need the Black Codex.”

The woman turns her grin at him, expression unchanging but looking distinctly challenging.

“Tell me, Minister, why do you really want the Black Codex?”

“So that once in my life, I can do the right thing.” He walks up to her, eyes hard but not demanding. Rather, negotiating. “Despite all their evils, the Star Cabal managed something remarkable. They stayed invisible for centuries and operated independently of the great powers. I, for all of my rank and skill, can barely scratch my nose without being stymied by a Dark Lord.”

The woman called Cipher chuckles good-naturedly. “They do like making a nuisance, don’t they?”

The Minister’s face remains hard. “The lives I destroyed, the atrocities I approved, were all in the hope of making the Empire a safer place. I failed. Now I turn to you and to the black codex.”

The woman pulls a face, smile changing but remaining on her face, just as wide. “Oh, I think not. I’m out. I’ve had enough.”

“All the more reason to listen. And please, you _ must _ listen,” the Minister finally looks pleading, if only just. “Intelligence is not being rebuilt, you need to escape while you have the chance. The Sith and the Military have wanted our resources for years. Now that we belong to them, things will change. And after a career like yours, you will be the most tightly leashed of those resources.”

He closes his eyes. “I want to cut you lose. Erase all of your files, all of your records. You will be a ghost. Invisible. And free. You are a gifted person, in more ways than one.” His eyes open and are suddenly glowing with a knowing look. The Cipher gives an exaggerated expression of discomfort. “You will no longer be chained to anyone, and answer to no one. You will be a free agent. “Mercei Tanniels” will disappear as if she never existed in the first place.”

The woman’s smile widens, her face nearly splitting apart at the mouth. “Oh but you see, that’s not needed, Minister. Mercei Tanniels never has existed. She was a lie. A cipher. Just like her title.”

The Minister’s mouth falls open, eyes going wide.

“Cipher Nine died on Corellia,” the Cipher continues. “She’s no longer a loose end. All I need do is mark her as deceased and delete her files. I will no longer need to cover my tracks. I can, instead, use the Codex to take back to my old name. My old life. What was once meant to be my true life.”

She turns and reaches out, and from somewhere off-screen, a canteen flies to her hand. She takes a long sip and places it on the table beside her.

The Minister now looks positively stupefied.

“Please don’t be worried, Minister. Throughout everything, you have done your best to look out for your subordinates. You went to extreme lengths to keep me--and our colleagues--safe. All while still following orders the Sith gave you. I will always love you like an uncle. You have nothing to fear from me. Farewell.”

With that she walks out and leaves, and the holofeed cuts off.

*

=== Holovid 2 ===

The Cipher is pushing a hoverchair, which bears another woman. This second woman looks pale, and has the skeletal look of someone who lost a lot of weight within a short time.  
Despite her ill-health, she has the look of someone who has finally found peace after a long nightmare.

“So here we are,” the Cipher says. “Your new retirement home. What do you think, Keeper?”

The woman shudders. “Please, it’s just Shara Jenn from now on. I’ve come to hate having a designation. Or a title.”

The Cipher laughs. Unlike before, her smile seems more genuine, more free. She seems just as happy as Shara does. Relaxed. A large burden has been lifted off her shoulders.

“I understand that all too well. I don’t want to hear “Cipher”, or “Agent” or “Nine” or whatever, ever again.”

“For the whole time I’ve known you, you’ve worn that infuriating smile. Never let it drop even for a second. But this is the first time I get the feeling that you mean it! It will feel so liberating calling you by your name. Mercei! I like it.”

“Actually, that’s not my real name either,” Cipher says.

She vocalizes a command phrase and the air around her shimmers as a holoprojector seems to switch off. The mask disappears, leaving behind the face of a woman unrecognizable from the last. 

Her eyes are yellow as gold basking in the sunlight. Her eyes lined with dark circles while her tired face is more gaunt, marked by the many trials she has no doubt endured in her time as a spy. She looks, at once, young, and old beyond her years. Her smile is much smaller, but infinitely more kinder, and gentle.

Another command and she starts to gag, and coughs up something tiny. An implant in her throat.

She turns back to Shara, who seems as surprised as the Minister was.

The Cipher looks at Shara in the eye. Her voice has changed. “Before I was an agent, I passed the trials on Korriban. Became an Apprentice to a Sith. My Master, Lord Vexakos, transformed me into Mercei Tanniels, who he wanted to use as his weapon in Intelligence. Today, I am reclaiming her name, her life. Continuing the life that was kept on hold for so many months.”

“My real name,” she says clearly, emotions barely contained; she seems to be relishing this moment. “Is Lana Beniko.”


End file.
